Huonville High School Shines in a Week of Success and Community Spirit.

This past week has been one to remember at Huonville High School, with students, staff, and the wider community coming together to achieve incredible milestones across various events.

Inaugural Remembrance Day Service

For the first time, our school participated in a full-scale community Remembrance Day service, with all students and staff joining community at the Huonville cenotaph in a moving tribute. The event demonstrated the depth of respect our students have for those who have served to protect our freedoms.

Special thanks go to Mr Adrian Dorrington, and Mr Jason Lunden, and the entire team of speakers, ushers, set-up crew, chefs, and our fabulous student body for making this event a success. Highlights included:

• The respectful procession to the cenotaph.
• Aimee Cook’s heartfelt reading.
• Students laying the wreath and hearing from veterans about the importance of remembrance.
• A delightful morning tea with scones that brought everyone together.

Thank you to all staff for their preparation and support, ensuring this day was a shining example of our community spirit. Seeing our students' exemplary behaviour was a moment of immense pride for all.

Athletics Carnival Success

This year’s Athletics Carnival was nothing short of spectacular! A massive thank you to Miss Sophie Rainbird, Mr James Belstead, and Mr Riley Mislov for planning and facilitating the most successful carnival in memory.

The day was filled with fun, teamwork, and plenty of “have-a-go” spirit. It was a joy to see students embrace the activities with enthusiasm and camaraderie.

Boys’ Basketball Team Triumphs at State Championships

Under the guidance of coach Mr Riley Mislov, the boys’ basketball team participated in the State Basketball Championships at the Kingborough Sports Centre. They performed outstandingly, making it to the Grand Final after a stellar win on Sunday morning.

Though they fell short of victory against St Virgil’s, the team’s effort in coming back from a 20-point deficit was inspiring. Huge thanks to all the families and staff who supported the team

Congratulations to the team for representing Huonville High with such determination and sportsmanship!

A Week of Appreciation and Achievements

• Sip and Paint: Thank you to Ms Christie Gumley, for organizing our first-ever staff wellbeing afternoon. The "Sip and Paint" session was a delightful opportunity for staff to unwind and connect.
• Photo Shoot Success: A shoutout to Ms Kristy Gatehouse, for coordinating the Leading Image photo shoot. We look forward to using these images and drone footage for school promotions.
• Senior Student Support: To all the staff who supported our Year 11/12 students in their final weeks, your dedication has been outstanding. Special thanks to Mrs Judi Cawthorn, Mr Clint Rottier, Mr Marcus Thalmann, Mrs Ari Powell, Mr Wayne Meyer, Mrs Jo Oates, Mrs Belinda Stewart, Mr James Melbourne-Thomas, and our amazing VET TAFE teachers. Also, congratulations to our students who really worked hard to get over the line and submit work to contribute to their course results for 2024. A wonderful effort.

Huonville High School continues to thrive thanks to the dedication and spirit of our community. Let’s keep up the momentum as we move toward the end of the year!

Kindly,

Janelle Reeves
Principal

janelle.reeves@decyp.tas.gov.au 

Hello parents and carers

Once again term is flying by and with only 4 weeks remaining it’s hard to believe we are almost at the end of 2024. Despite this, we still have lots to do, and heaps of fun things planned to get us to the end of term.

This term we have started Homeroom Community activities in Year 7/8. All 7/8 teachers, leaders, support teachers and our School Nurse are involved in this exciting venture. Year 7/8 students have chosen a different group to be a part of: picnic table and flower garden restoration, artistic improvement of the hallway and a cooking group.
Mr Lunden is leading the cooking group, and it is a big class, full of passionate students. Our plan is to make the same simple dishes such as pizza, milkshakes and biscuits, over 3 - 4 weeks. We will serve ourselves in the first session to trial food, then the following weeks we will rotate and feed the other community groups. This way we can work on our time management and teamwork, as well as getting classmates fed and keeping everyone happy.

Uniforms are looking great, especially in the grade 7/8 team. Just be mindful please, jeans are not a part of our uniform. Also, check with the office as there are great white shirts, skirts, shorts and V-neck jumpers available too.

Our school yearbook is currently being edited and shows all the wonderful learning our student have been involved in this year. Keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks.

Wednesday December 11 is our whole school Awards Assembly. We encourage you to attend and be a part of our celebrations of all that our students have achieved this year. School reports will also be sent home on the same day.

On December 18 we will be having the School Swimming Carnival. Please encourage your child to be a part of this exciting day and wear their house colours. Banksia is red, Grevillia blue and Hakea is white.

Finally, a reminder to all families, school laptops must be returned at the end of Week 9. Please make sure your child’s laptop has all the pieces (digital stylus, charger and bag) accompanying it. If your child is a bit forgetful, perhaps encourage them to leave their laptop at school for when it is needed, making it easy to collect. Please contact the school if you have any questions about this process.

We have much to look forward in Term 4. Please keep an eye on our social media pages and your emails to keep up to date on what we are doing and when we are doing it!

All the best for a busy term!
Regards

Jason Lunden
Grade 7/8 Coordinator
jason.lunden@decyp.tas.gov.au 

Sophie Rainbird
Grade 9/10 Coordinator
sophie.rainbird@decyp.tas.gov.au 

Earlier this year students visited Drysdale college, Ball and Chain Restaurant and Swisherr Café. Students partcipated in many different activities such as:
coffee making, beverage making, AI technology demonstrations and gained knowledge of different operational working kitchens.

In class students have been busy cooking up a storm, making a variety of dishes inculding: gateaux, fresh pastas, dessert baking, and even non-alcoholic beverages. Some of the units include: knowing how to use all kitchen equipment and preparing dishes.

Belinda Stewart
Food & Hospitality Teacher
belinda.stewart@decyp.tas.gov.au

At Huonville High School we have a schoolwide priority focussing on improving student reading outcomes. We use Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) to monitor and assess student reading development and grade-based inquiry cycles to track student progress. Inquiry cycles are a process where teachers identify areas for improvement, develop and implement a plan, collect, and analyse data, then adjust our practices based on the findings. This ongoing cycle promotes continuous improvement and enhances both teaching and student learning.

All students have recently participated in their final inquiry cycle. Students engaged in reading lessons focussed on identifying explicit information in text. Pre and post tests showed 84% of our students made considerable gains in demonstrating their understanding of specific reading skills and improved by one or more levels. This was a wonderful schoolwide achievement, and we are thrilled to see such incredible gains in our student learning.

To further support your child in developing their reading skills from home you may wish to read a news article, story, or even a chapter of a book with your child and have a go at the following:

1. Ask questions about the character or what key events happened. Encourage your child to look back at the text to find specific answers.
2. Ask your child to highlight or underline the main ideas, words or phrases.
3. Ask your child to explain the who, what, when, where and why of the text.

Please contact Christie Gumley or your child’s Grade Coordinator if you would like further information.

Christie Gumley
Assistant Principal 7/8
christie.gumley@decyp.tas.gov.au

On November 11 the whole school proudly attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Huonville Cenotaph.
A number of our students formed important roles and we were very proud of their participation.

Research shows that a significant number of children have negative online experiences, with one in five young Australians aged 8 to 17 years reporting being socially excluded, threatened or abused online.

As children grow older and enter their teenage years, age-appropriate supervision can continue to be a useful protective strategy.

Let older teenagers know you are still available to provide support, especially if they have a negative experience.

We know that as young people become adults they can still be at risk of harm. You can reduce the risk and impact of the harm by offering warm support and acknowledging their strengths.

You can say ‘I know you have your own life online. Your privacy and independence are important. But I want you to know that I’m still here to help if anything goes wrong, especially if you need to talk about something difficult. If something happens, we can figure out what to do together.’ For more practical information, go to

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice 

Some Art students had their works displayed at the Huon Show on Saturday. The theme for 2024 was A Day at The Farm.
Two students won prizes!
Cassie Pryor from Year 7 won First Prize for her Highland Cow painting, and Ella Annabel from Year 9 won the CWA prize.

Congratulations and well done to all, you should feel very proud of your efforts!

Angela Prince
Art Teacher
angela.price@decyp.tas.gov.au

Friday, November 15th, saw the school buzzing with energy as students and staff came together for the annual Athletics Carnival.
The day was filled with impressive performances, house spirit, and plenty of fun.

Riley Mislov, Sophie Rainbird, James Belstead 
HPE  Teachers
riley.mislov@decyp.ta.gov.au
Sophie.rainbird@decyp.tas.gov.au
james.blestead@decyp.tas.gov.au

Over the weekend, our boys' basketball team gave it their all in the State Championships. Competing across two days, they displayed remarkable skill and teamwork, winning every game leading up to the grand final. Though they narrowly missed out on the ultimate prize, their efforts were truly commendable.

A huge thank you to Mr. Mislov for his expert coaching and to the many staff members who came along to cheer them on. Your support made a difference!

Sophie Rainbird
HPE  Teacher - Yr 9/10 coordinator 
sophie.rainbird@decyp.tas.gov.au

The Year 9/10 Sport & Recreation class swapped their sneakers for golf clubs last week with a visit to Golf Park in Cambridge.
The excursion was a hit, offering students the chance to refine their swings, practice putting, and enjoy a day of sport and camaraderie.

Sophie Rainbird
HPE Teacher and 9/10 Coordinator
sophie.rainbird@decyp.tas.gov.au

Parents, staff and community members are invited to

HHS School Association Annual General Meeting

Thursday 5^th Dec,

5:00-6:30pm, HHS Staff room

Nominations for deputy chair, secretary and treasurer are open. Elections will be held during the meeting.

Contact Chair Troy Cook: troycook1971@icloud.com

On Monday, November 18th, our talented students Archer Watson, Oscar Wynter, and Aimee Cook took on Huon FM Radio.
They spoke brilliantly about the highlights of Term 4, showcasing the incredible events and achievements of our school community.

Great job, team—you represented us with pride (and excitement)!

Sophie Rainbird
HPE Teacher and 9/10 Coordinator
sophie.rainbird@decyp.tas.gov.au

Thank you to the parents/guardians who have paid school levies already, and those who are paying via regular instalments.  Levies support student learning by contributing towards the cost of essential items and services. 

Unfortunately, we still have a number of unpaid levies and would appreciate payment at your earliest convenience.  If you hold a current concession card you may be eligible for Student Assistance (STAS).  Applications close at the end of August, visit www.decyp.tas.gov.au for information on how to apply.

Levies can be paid in a number of ways:

• at the school office by EFTPOS, cash or cheque;
• at Service Tasmania by EFTPOS, cash or cheque;
• via BPAY (use the biller code and reference on your invoice)
• via Centrepay, a service provided by Centrelink.

If you are experiencing difficulties and wish to discuss payment plans, please contact me on 6264 0800.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Suellen Hill
Business Manager

suellen.hill@decpyp.tas.gov.au 

SZapp is a direct communication channel to parents and carers; a mobile app that’s free to download. SZapp allows Huonville High School to send notifications to our parents and carers at any time, as well as being a platform where the school's important information is available anywhere, anytime, on mobile devices.

Features:

Newsletter subscription link and archive of all previous newsletters News Feed – which will allow us to send notifications as a reminder of things that are coming up Forms and Documents – which provides digital access to all forms sent home in hard copy Link to call the school directly or to access the school website Comprehensive school calendar that is continually updated Bus details Staff email contacts And much more…

Apple devices: Download and install SZapp.

Android devices: Download and install SZapp.